EMIGRANT, Montana – Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, one of the nation’s premier guest ranches since 1929, announces the start of its 2026 golf season, highlighted by the completion of an extensive enhancement project to the bunkers and updated cart paths on its Rising Sun Golf Course.
Designed by Johnny Miller and exclusive for guests of Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, Rising Sun offers championship golf set against the jaw-dropping Big Sky scenery. Located in the shadows of Emigrant Peak and the Absaroka Mountain Range, the par-72, links-style layout incorporates the natural rolling hills and grasses found in Paradise Valley.
Through their conservation efforts, Rising Sun is the first golf course in Montana to become a certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary by Audubon International.
Led by Davis Love III’s Love Golf Design, the bunker enhancement project included the removal of 10 bunkers, while adding 30 more. The existing bunkers were modified and updated for improved drainage and edged using the Eco Bunker system, creating sod walls typically seen throughout links-style courses in Scotland and Ireland.
Heritage Links began working on the bunker enhancement project in mid-March and completed work earlier this month. Throughout the process, Rising Sun remained open.
Used primarily overseas at notable layouts such as Kingsbarns, the 2021 Open Championship site Royal St. George’s and the 2023 Ryder Cup host Marco Simone, the Eco Bunker system incorporates stacked sod bunker edges using recycled artificial grass. Rising Sun also implemented Sandtrapper liner in the basins to swiftly drain and minimize washouts during inclement weather.
The final step of the enhancement process involved refilling the bunkers with the same sand found in the existing bunkers.
Rising Sun joins an illustrious roster of U.S. golf courses that use the Eco Bunker system,including The Medalist in Florida, Secession Golf Club in South Carolina and Talamore Golf Resort in North Carolina.
Cart path restoration at Rising Sun features TRUEGRID permeable pavers, a recycled, high-density polyethylene plastic honeycomb-style product designed to keep the cart path material from migrating or developing potholes. Updating the cart paths will also reduce costs associated with maintaining natural paths by retaining the road base, improving drainage from the irrigation system and reducing unwanted weeds from establishing themselves.
After beginning the restoration process in late 2025, the cart path project wrapped up during the winter months.
“Mountain Sky is committed to maintaining and improving Rising Sun Golf Course and providing a world-class experience for our guests, “ says Mike Petersen, Rising Sun superintendent. “ The bunker upgrade enhances playability, consistency and drainage while adding the rugged, links-style look that fits our landscape.”
Earlier this year, Rising Sun achieved top-100 status in its debut in Golfweek’s Top Resort Course Rankings. Golfweek’s “Ultimate Guide to Golf Courses Living and Great Escapes 2026” ranked Rising Sun at 94th in its “Top 200 Resort Courses in the U.S.” rankings, tied with SentryWorld in Wisconsin and the Osprey Meadows Course at Tamarack Resort in Idaho.
Rising Sun was one of two Montana courses listed in these prestigious rankings and one of six U.S. courses debuting in the top 100.
Rising Sun will soon be open to guests of Auster at Dome Mountain, the newest property in the AMB West portfolio due to open this fall. For more information on Auster, visit www.auster.com.
For more information on Rising Sun Golf Course: www.mountainsky.com/activities/golf.